Fire Station Bunk Room Uninhabitable After OSHA Complaint
- Forest Park, Illinois firefighters have been sleeping in TV rooms and an office since a complaint to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration flagged a degrading fiberglass duct liner in the HVAC system above their bunk room, which caused respiratory complaints, skin irritation and headaches among firefighters.
- Mayor Rory Hoskins received notice of the complaint from the Illinois Department of Labor on June 1, and a state consultation program visited the station on July 15 to assess conditions and sample air quality, though those tests did not include fiberglass.
- Fire Chief Lindsey Hankus is awaiting city approval for a separate fiberglass air test, and the station may need new ductwork depending on the results.
- The complaint prompted the department to create an internal complaint form and a shared tracking document for safety projects, which Chief Hankus said has improved communication across the department’s three shifts.
- A $1.5 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will fund a second-floor remodel, including the bunk room, starting next spring, though the money won’t arrive until then.
Michigan Workplace Deaths Hit 46 in 2025, Highest Since COVID
- Forty-six workers were killed on the job in Michigan in 2025, the highest total since 2006 outside the COVID-19 pandemic years, according to Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration data.
- Struck-by incidents were the leading cause of death, accounting for 24 of the 46 fatalities, followed by falls from elevation, which claimed six lives.
- Laborers had the highest fatality count by occupation with eight deaths, followed by roofers with three; so far in 2026 the agency has recorded 21 work-related fatalities, compared to 34 in all of 2024.
- The agency identified safety violations in 29 of the 46 fatality investigations, resulting in $1.29 million in fines, since reduced to about $1.24 million through settlements.